The Endless Sea
by The Dark Door
Summary: At the start of Sozin's War, Keio, a Fire Nation foot soldier, is stuck in the homeland; and is dying to be part of the action. When the southern water tribe raids where he is stationed things take an interesting turn. Follow Keio as he makes new friends and tries to master his new-found ability. Rated M for violence and gore as well as language, some minor romance later.
1. Chapter 1

I stare at the endless sea. The war has just started and I burn with the desire to be part of the battles to secure land for our people. But I am here, standing guard on the battlements of our southern-most fort, just waiting for something. I follow rotation and stare at the sea from a new vantage point. The sun is setting, my comrades that can firebend, they can feel Agni slipping away. The absence of the sun had never bothered me much. I am not a bender, so it mattered little to me. So I stand here waiting, looking at nothing interesting and wish I was anywhere but here.

* * *

They came out of the moon. The moon was just beginning to rise when the water tribe raid began. The moon was almost full; they would nearly be at their peak. They were specks at first, but then sails emerged and I knew this wasn't going to be a quick night. I ran to the bronze horn that is located at each corner of the fort and I blew. I blew that horn till my lungs ran out of air, the deep tones reaching every man in the compound, sleeping or otherwise. When I could make out how many men were on each ship I stopped and ran to my commanding officer, Lieutenant Hoshi. He arranged my unit, all of us non-benders, to the sand where we were to make a stand. The Lt. was the only firebender among us, and he was weak without the sun. We non-benders would make this fight, and we were eager to prove our usefulness to our officers. My sword mate Oyusu, stood next to me, his jian across his back. He was just as eager as I was. My kusarigama is always with me and I unwound it from my shoulder while we awaited orders.

"The water benders are upon us boys." Lt. Hoshi said, "We need you to hold this beach until the last man. Our benders are useless tonight; Agni is so far from us.

He looked solemn at the fact this would not be a decisive victory.

"Our country needs us, and we cannot fail her. If we manage to push the water tribe back here, we will follow them into their homeland and strike back, making them sorry for stepping out of place."

We all screamed eager for battle to begin and to teach these intruders not to mess with the Fire Nation.

As the water tribe boats landed and the first warriors began to jump off and tie the boat onto shore, we charged. The first few waterbenders fell easily, taken by surprise. The men still on the boat called forth the sea on us. The waves came far faster than natural, drowning our soldiers. I feel like an immortal, finally in my first battle. I am slashing and swinging alongside my brethren ridding my country of a pestilence.

The moon is high when I feel the tide of the battle shift. By now I am covered in gore and sweat, Oyusu is the same. Exhausted as we are, we smile at each other and charge back into the melee. I cannot use my kusarigama much since I am afraid of harming Oyusu, but his jian is a bane to the water tribe's existence. The water tribe begins a slow advancement up the beach. The waves that are called forth do nothing to rid the sand of the gore that stains it. Fire Nation soldiers fall more and more often the farther back we are pushed. For the first time all night I fear for my life. Just as the Fire Nation soldiers break lines and retreat, I see Oyusu fall. I am knocked back by a wave and I fall to the wet gory sand. Oyusu turns to help me but as he turns a spear is thrust through his back and protrudes out of his chest. He looks down at it, sweat and blood dripping into his eyes. He looks down at me and smiles. It is his same, care free smile that he uses to woo the girls back in town, but his smile is tainted by the blood that comes bubbling out of his mouth.

"Oyusu!"

I screamed, I didn't know I could scream like that after fighting all night. The warrior who slew Oyusu turned to me and drew a bloody club from the loop in his belt. I know I am going to die and I am paralyzed by that fear. The warrior raises his arm to strike me down and I throw my hands up to protect myself, my kurasigama totally forgotten. What happened next was far from either of us expected. When I threw my hands up, a wall of blood rose from the sand and the warrior's club was caught in the wall. I have no idea how it happened. I had never heard of this before but apparently the water tribe warrior had, because he started screaming,

"Bloodbender!" he yelled, "Traitor!"

He just kept screaming until I swung my kusarigama and crushed his skull with the metal weight at the opposite end of the twelve foot chain from the kama. In the moonlight I could see his brain oozing out from the cracks in his skull and out of his nose. I roll over retching at the sight. In the east, I can just make out the first rays of the sun as it rises. So does everyone on the battlefield. The water tribe warriors turn and run for the ships as the firebenders burst forth from the fort. In the confusion of running soldiers, I crawl away into the foothills of the surrounding mountains.

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A/N: This is my very first fan-fiction that I have posted. Review so I know what to change and for suggestions on how to mould this story. This is a very Japanese influenced story and some terms may not make sense if you haven't heard of them before.

Kusarigama- the kusarigama is a weapon used mostly by the ninja. It is a scythe (the Kama) connected to a length of chain with a weight on the opposite end.

Jian- the jian is a japanese sword that any fan of A:TLA will know. Sokka's sword is a jian. It is very common weapon in Japan.

Thank you for your time if you had gotten this far. =p Cookies shall be provided momentarily. Review and dozens shall be provided.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Aright, I'm back and before I thank some people a correction is due. The Jain that Oyusu wields in the first chapter I had stated in my authors notes as originating from Japan. That is very wrong, the weapon originated in China. I am sorry the internet lied to me. I should have known.

Now I would like thank my marvelous beta, **The Owl's Quill**, for her grammar help and plot hole patching. I would also like to thank **LianLegacy**, for her review and grammar correction, as well as, **DAve and Bob** for your review. Cookies are indeed in production.

Without further adue; Chapter 2

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I am running through the valleys of the mountain that make up the island I am stationed on. I am running for what feels like eternity. My legs are pumping acid and I breathe fire. My chest feels ready to explode. What I am running from, I am not entirely sure. I want to leave the image of Oyusu standing before me, bloody and dying, far behind me. I stumble over rocks and roots but I refuse to stop, afraid his ghost might catch me. The ground below my feet suddenly drops away and I fall into the underbrush. I want to get up and run again but I can't find the nerve to do so. I lay there until my heart's pounding eases away and my breathing slows.

As the blood rushes from my ears I can hear a stream babbling nearby. I crawl ever so slowly through the dense undergrowth. I pull myself to the edge and reach an arm in, it is swift and cold. My thirst overrides my thoughts and I plunge my face into the water to drink greedily. I only stop when my lungs scream for air. I pull my head up to take a breath and turm my head just in time to puke all of the water I just drank back out. I am about to dive in headfirst again before my brain kicks in and I remind myself to use my hand to drink slowly. I only get a few handfuls before I notice how disgusting my arm is and by extension, the rest of my body. I am still caked in blood and sweat from the night before.

Stripping off my armor, I plunge into the cold, clear water. It is not deep and comes up to mid chest when I stand on the silty bottom. I scrub the sweat, blood, and Agni knows what else from my body and the stream carries it away.

While I wash, I have the time to realize that I am now in quite a predicament. I ran from the battlefield, I deserted the Fire Army. I don't care all that much but now, I cannot return. I like living too much. I can't continue to wear my body armor; I will be killed on sight if another soldier spots me. The high shoulder spikes kept getting caught on branches as well. I lost my helm when I was knocked from my feet on the battlefield, so that is not an issue. I'll keep my greaves and bracers. They are simple, and made of iron; common enough for any man to have in this day and age. My simple red vest will do in this climate, and my dark red trousers are comfortable beneath my greaves.

When I am dry, I carefully rub the blood from my kusarigama. I clean and dry the blade so it does not rust, and remove the blood from every link in the chain. Rubbing the weight at the opposite end of the chain with a little silt makes it come clean.

Standing up, I survey the area around me. I am still on the island I was stationed and I have no food, and my only water is the stream. I need to get to a town to get supplies. I glance at the sun and turn north, since that is my only option, and hope I find civilization soon.

* * *

I see smoke in the distance as night begins to fall. I have been traveling all day and I am falling asleep on my feet. As I stagger into the town the moon is high, bright and full. I reach the town square and I fall to my hands and knees. I am so tired, I can no longer walk. As I kneel there, an arrow thuds into the ground in front of me. Adrenaline forces me awake and my eyes fly open. I look around and I am surrounded by three of my assailants, two on either side and the one with the bow approaching me straight ahead. The entire town is dark; no one will come and help me.

"Well, well, what do we have here? Another poor lost soul in need of direction?" the man with the bow says, "I do believe it is our job: to point souls such as yourself in the right direction… for a price."

He smiles ruefully, he is arrogant and my blood boils at the sight of him.

"Now, if you will be so kind as to tell us where you are headed, you can pay us and we shall be on our way,"

The other two have drawn simple cudgels from their belts and stand beside me, reeking of sweat and booze.

"I am going north." I say to them, not caring in my sleep deprived state. "I have no need of direction, so I see no need to pay you." I hope I don't sound as groggy as I feel.

"Well, that's a shame. Grab 'em boys!"

The two muggers grab my arms, while the first brings up his bow. I immediately bring my arms together, slamming the two holding me into each other. The arrow launched by the leader sinks into the shoulder of the mugger on my left. I thrust my elbows out and into their faces. As they stumble back, the lead mugger runs at me with a long knife. I backpedal furiously, narrowly avoiding the knife as he sweeps it back and forth. These lowlifes are far too close for me to use my kusarigama. The man with the arrow in his shoulder yells as he rips it out. His blood hit the ground with a splash and I feel something shift inside of me. I can feel the moonlight shining on my face, and I feel the pulse of the men around me.

I jump back quickly to give myself room. Reaching out, I feel the blood on the ground respond to my call. Making fists and pulling my arms in, the blood congeals into sharp splinters, and the splinters fly through the man with the knife. His blood spills to the ground as the shock of what I just did hits me. The other two men turn and run, screaming out of fear. Seizing my opportunity I unwind my kusarigama quickly and wrap the chain around the two men.

"Please," they beg me. I turn a deaf ear and swing my kama, slicing their throats.

I still feel the moonbeams beating down on my back and shoulders. I feel the pulse of the dying men's last heartbeats. My vision begins to shake as my own pulse pounds in my ears.

"Monster, you will sink to the bottom of Koh's lair." Coughed the man I had struck down first.

I walk over to him, still delirious and shaking and I whisper in his ear,

"See you there."

Standing up, I gather the energy from the blood coursing out of him and pull, throwing my fists above my head. I feel his blood tear through his flesh and splash all over me and the ground. The energy caused by the adrenaline slowly dissipates and I stumble away from the bodies before I fall to the packed earth.

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A/N: Cookies shalll be provided for my dear readers and dozens are due for reviews!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Many thanks to my readers and reviewers, if you are anywhere out there. A special thanks goes out to **LianLegacy**, for letting me use part of her pen name for one of my characters. I greatly appreciate it. Another special thanks to my beta **The Owl's Quill, **you are probably the only one reading this at this point. Now, onward to the story!

* * *

Coming to, I am surrounded by unfamiliar faces. Below me is not the packed earth of the town square but a straw mattress. There is a slight murmur running through the crowd as I blink and try to sit up. Blood rushes to my head and I lay back down. Glancing down at my feet I see that I have been cleaned, and someone removed my clothes. I pull the thin blanket up feeling self-conscious with all of these people around.

"Alright! Everybody out!" a powerful voice booms, "The young soldier needs rest."

The voice came from surprisingly small woman, old and obviously the town matriarch.

"My name is Lian, young man, and you have some explaining to do." She tells me, "How you came to this secluded little town is beyond me, but you liberated the townsfolk from a serious band of miscreants, so you are appreciated."

She continues to prattle on, talking about how the bandits came to town and all the things they had done to the people. The local home guard, apparently had abandoned them after not hearing from superiors for months. They up and left, and shortly after, the bandits arrived. Our very one sided conversation begins to slide to the people and births and deaths, and I begin to tune her out. Sleep begins to cloud my thoughts as her voice prattles on in the background.

When I wake, I am alone in the small room. I look around anxiously, trying to figure out where I am and where Lian disappeared to. I sit up suddenly aware of the missing weight of my kusarigama. It is not in my hands like I last remembered and it is not wrapped around my shoulder like it normally would be. I roll off the mattress and jump to my feet. Sitting in a pile on a chair in the corner next to the mattress are my clothes; clean and dry, and my greaves and bracers on top of the clothes. Wrapped around one of the pegs supporting the back of the chair, is my weapon, well oiled and shining. I collapse onto the bed out of relief. Without that weapon I am useless. I can't farm and I don't know any trade, and if I am caught by bandits without it, I would surely die.

I dress quickly and wrap the familiar weight around my shoulders before sneaking out the door. The room that I was in leads to a long hallway filled with other doors leading to more rooms. At the end of the hall is an open area filled with kotatsu, and a large irori on one end. At the opposite end is a set of double doors being held open to allow the breeze to flow through. I look around the big room taking in my unfamiliar surroundings. I stop when I see a plate of buns and a bowl of berries on one of the tables. I rush over and begin devouring them like I hadn't eaten in days. Well, now that I thought about it, I really hadn't eaten in days, and who knows how long I was asleep.

While I was eating, Lian walked into the room carrying a large basket filled with fresh vegetables, and meats. Noticing me, she smiles and walks over,

"Look who is finally awake, I see you found the food set aside for you."

"Where am I?" I ask.

"You are in the town of Jenju, in the province of Teipai. Now if I may ask a question… who are you?"

My face reddens as I realize how poor my manners are. I stand and bow,

"My name is Keio, and I am travelling north to find my brother, and give him news of our grandfather's death."

Not entirely true but it will work for now.

"You have my deepest sympathies, my young soldier." She said bowing. "Now the townsfolk are dying to meet you."

She took me by my arm and pulled me out into the town square. Everywhere I turned, there were people, and everyone is staring at me. My knees knock and my palms sweat as I learn something new about myself… I hate crowds.

I did not have to say much since Lian spoke to the crowd of the assembled townspeople. She told them who I am and what my purpose is, she took care of everything. Standing there, being praised by people I don't know, I replayed that night in my head. I saw the absolute fear in the eyes of those men, and the rush of power, the phenomenal power, as I realized that I _bended, _and I bended their blood that night. I took something so essential to life and just ripped it out of that man. I tore every single drop of blood out of that mugger's body because I _willed_ it. I felt my hands shake and bile rise in my throat; I could not believe what I had done. By now, Lian had finished speaking and the townsfolk were coming up to shake my hand or embrace me, for killing men in such a way that Agni could never condone. These people make me sick.

When the line of people dispersed, I slowly made my way back to the building I woke up in. I feel like I am living a nightmare, a constant inescapable _nightmare_. I kneel by one kotatsu and rest my hands against it. I fight back tears as I remember the feeling, the absolute raw power of bending. I can't shake the sound of their flesh screaming as their blood was pulled from their veins. I can't shake the feeling of their hot blood on my face as their hearts stop beating. I am so afraid, of what I am capable of, of who I am becoming. I want to get up and run, but my body won't listen.

A figure stands in the doorway, casting a silhouette onto the table in front of me.

"Well don't you feel special," says the figure, "You beat up the big bad men, and now you want a reward?"

The sudden snide tone this stranger uses snaps me out of my melancholy. I may have been braver if it wasn't for the katana thrust through the obi around his waist.

"I-I didn't ask for anything." I manage to stammer out, definitely not my finest hour.

"Then leave." The stranger spits out before turning on his heel and walking away.

This town is definitely hazardous to my health. As I turn back to the low table, Lian enters with two steaming cups of tea.

"Bear him no mind, that man is just a bitter hollow soul." She says.

I am shocked by her sudden disrespect for the man. I nearly choke on my tea when she says it.

"That is Uroyo, he tried to stop the bandits years ago but before he could even draw his sword he was brought to his knees."

Understanding dawns on me as his seemingly rash actions make sense.

"He too arrived suddenly in the night like you, but he could not best them, like you did."

I sip my tea quietly, not knowing what to say. Lian finishes her tea quickly and leaves to prepare tonight's meal. I am left to my own devices and my thoughts stray back to fighting those men, and I can't help shuddering.

* * *

A few more Japanese terms used in this chapter:

Obi - the sash around the waist to hold the kimono closed.

Kotatsu - the low table with a heating source located below the table, often used for both eating and sleeping.

Irori - the Japanese hearth, food is suspended above by a set of hanging hooks.

Uroyo is a very interesting character and we have not seen the last of him quite yet. His mysterious past will be revealed and his sword has a certain unusual property.

Thank you for your time and if ya liked it leave a review!


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